Terms of the contract were not disclosed. Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor on KEI for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA).

Work on the contract will be performed at the company's Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in Rocket Center, W.Va.

ATK is an industry leader in the design, development and production of gas generators for missile systems. The company has previously provided similar systems for the U.S. Navy's Trident, Poseidon, Polaris, Sprint and currently Tomahawk missile systems.

KEI is a next-generation missile assigned the task of boost/ascent phase intercepts as part of MDA's global layered defense strategy. As an integral part of boost phase defense, it is critical that the KEI launch rapidly out of its canister.

The ATK-developed gas generators will nearly instantaneously create the proper pressure inside the canister to eject the missile, at which point the first stage rocket motor, also built by ATK, will ignite.

ATK will supply 29 gas generators for KEI development and test programs. The first static firing for the Stage 1 Rocket Motor is scheduled for FY06 while the gas generator eject test is scheduled for FY07.

During the eject test, the generators will propel an inert "slug" out of the canister that is matched in weight and center of gravity to the actual interceptor. Additional generators will be used in full-rate production.

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